Millennials still eager to participate

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By Jessica A. JohnsonSaturday November 17, 2012 6:22 AM

The millennial generation, young adults between 18 and 29, is the coveted voting bloc that
President Barack Obama was counting on to turn out in high numbers on Election Day. They did not
disappoint.

There were approximately 17 million millennials who were eligible to cast their first vote in
this election. Obama handily won 60 percent of their age cohort compared with 37 percent for
Republican challenger Mitt Romney, according to early National Exit Poll (NEP) data. Millennials
made up 19 percent of the electorate and, although Obama’s edge was slightly less than the 2-to-1
margin he held over Sen. John McCain in 2008, it still was high enough to show the GOP that it is
out of touch with this demographic.

Pundits had predicted an “enthusiasm gap” among millennials, largely based on polling data
released before and after the debates. An October survey administered to millennials ages 18 to 24
by The Harvard Institute of Politics showed Obama holding a 19-point lead over Romney, but only 48
percent said that they definitely would vote.

Heading into the election, a poll released by Tufts University’s Center for Information and
Research on Civic Learning and Engagement predicted a 54.6 percent turnout of youth voters. The
lackluster attitude among some young folk toward the electoral process was due to many of them
believing that Washington is broken, which has become an accepted political cliché of our time.
While coming of age, millennials have witnessed the acrimonious battle in Congress surrounding the
debt ceiling that occurred during the summer of 2011 and then escalated into a possible government
shutdown in December of that year. They have seen politicians at their worst, refusing to
compromise and staying within partisan lines.

Young voters are firmly behind the president, and one of the major reasons their faith in him
remains is largely because of his commitment to higher education. Many who are in college have
benefitted from the expansion of the federal Pell Grant program and the American Opportunity tax
credit. Under Obama, close to 4 million additional students have received Pell Grants, and the
maximum grant of $5,550 would increase to $5,635 in 2013 under present law.

The American Opportunity tax credit provides up to $2,500 a year per student for college
expenses but it is set to expire in January. Obama wants to make this tax credit permanent.

Romney claimed that expanding Pell Grants has encouraged colleges to raise tuition, and he
wanted to let private lenders back into the federal student-loan business. Obama phased out most
private lenders by ending the Federal Family Education Loan program and using subsidy savings from
the private sector to reinvest in students.

In 2011, House Republicans put Pell Grants on the budget chopping block and proposed a $5.7
billion cut. The 2013 House budget of Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan would limit Pell Grants to
$5,550 for the next decade and place more restrictions on funding qualifications, such as cutting
aid for students who are enrolled in school less than half-time. Obama has proposed raising Pell
Grant funding according to the rate of inflation and Romney had suggested doing the same, but given
the GOP’s recent approach to college affordability, this was pretty much an impossible sell for
Romney to millennials.

Keeping college affordable, which also includes vocational schools and community colleges, was
certainly on the minds of voting millennials across the nation. Millennials tend to be almost
evenly divided over whether the government is doing too much or too little, and those who believe
the government can do more are most likely to be Democrats.

Yet, while millennials heavily favored Obama for four more years, what is most important is that
a significant number of them have indicated that being politically active is worth their time and
effort. Since they are still very young, it remains to be seen if they will stay in the Democrats’
camp, but there is no denying that many in this generation have made their voices heard.

Jessica A. Johnson is an assistant professor of English composition at Central State University
and writes for the Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald.